Lock nut



, mrvtwrok "Henry T HuT'ron Aug. 16, 1927.

H. T. HUTTON LOCK NUT Filed Nov. 2 1926 La -Ev Patented Aug. 16, 1927. v

UNiTED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

HENRY THOMAS rru'rrou, ori noimennnnn, IRELAND.

LOCK nor.

Application filed November 2, 1926, Serial No. 145,769, and in GreatBritain February 11, 1926.

adjacent surfaces of the nuts.

One of the objects of the present invention is to improve and simplifythe construction and assembly of a locknut of this kind in which thelocking action is obtained v by causina' the nuts to grip the bolttightly all. around its periphery as in my prior United States PatentNo. 1436805.

Another of the objects is to provide nuts of this character with agreater range of peripheral contraction upon their bolts than wasobtainable hitherto ensuring the desired locking action even if the nutsbe normally a very slack fit on the bolt. I

A further object is to permit the units of the locknut to be readilyassembled and then be either coupled permanently together or not asdesired. A" further object closely allied with this is to permit theunits to be assembled if desired as they are placed in position upon thebolt.

Still further objects which are attainable by the present invention willhereinafter appear or be appreciated by; those skilled in the art fromthe following description and the accompanying drawing.

In accordance withthe present invention, the dimensions andcharacteristicsfiof the recesses or grooves and of the ring are suchthat the ring, without bedding in the bottoms of the recesses orgrooves, when the outer. nut is screwed down to cause it to approach theother, after the assembled nut including the ring has been screwed on toa bolt, causes the inner wall of the-groove or recess in each nutto bindcircumferenti ally upon the bolt all around its periphery. Thedimensions and characteristics in accordance with the invention may alsobe such as to CTI secure the furtherlocking actions mentioned in thespecific description hereafter. v

The two nuts may becoupled permanently together, but so that they canvbe rotated relatively to each other by appropriate formation of theannular recesses or grooves and of the ring.

In order that the invention may be fully appreciated the same will nowbe described with reference to the accompanying drawing, whichillustrates by way of example one practical constructional form ofnut inaccordance therewith. It should be understood however that manymodifications fallferred form of locknut constructed in ac cordance withthe present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the form of nut shown in Fig. 1.

Flg. 3 is a separate sectional view of the ring shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. i is plan of the lower nut of F ig. 1 before the ring is insertedin the groove.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing 1 and 2 are twoseparate nuts having recesses or grooves 4L and concentric with thetaphole and 3 is a r ng to engage in said recesses or grooves. EU willoe noted that the nner walls 6 and 1 of these recesses present a taperedsurface whilst the outer walls 8 and 9 present a surface substantiallyparallel with the axis of the nut, except where they'are upset asindicated at 10 and 11. This upsetting may be efliected by punchinginwards the outer walls 8 and 9 at appropriate iutervals'and has theeifect of coupling the two nuts '1 and 2 permanently together but sothat they can be rotated relatively to each other. In thisconnection itwill be noted that the ring is flared outwar s at the ends and isgenerally of curved form as seen'in section in Fig. 3 but has lat outerwalls 12 adjacent the ends so that when the outer walls 8 and 9 of thenuts are upset the ring will be gripped in both nuts 1 and 2, and thecomplete locknut formed. I It should also be noted that the inner wallof the ric 3 has been eased off at each end at 13 which has a materialeffect on the successful operation of the locknut. The amount of thebevel should preferably be such that the inner diameter at the ends ofthe ring 3 is the same as that of the bases of the inner walls 6 and 7,the effect being to avoid bursting or overloading of the ring.Furthermore the curved formation of the ring 3 lends it a certain amountof elasticity which is also desirable.

up tight.

whole periphery, the grip being preferably of a somewhat elastic nature.In connection with the dimensions and characteristics above mentioned itwill be seen from Fig. 1 that whilst the ring 3 is in contact with theinner walls 6 and 7 there is sufficient space between the ends of thering 3 and the bottoms of the grooves to permit a substantial bending orpressing inwards of the inner walls 6 and 7 by the ring ring bedsagainst the bottoms of the grooves.

A further or second locking action may be obtained when the inner nut 2is bedded on the work and the outer nut 1 further rotated; this maycause the lips of the ring 3 to expand and to bed in the groovesparticularly against the outer walls 8 and 9 thereof, and the furtherpressure is accompanied by increased contraction on the bolt.

7 Another or third action may result as follows 1- If the outer nut isfurther rotated, the expansion of the ring may cause the outer walls 8and 9 of the nuts to expand and the ring eventually to bed on thebottoms of the grooves l and 5. This is a condition of great lock.

In some cases it may be possible and clesirable to obtain a fourthaction by still further rotation of the outer nut. The ring 3 being nowbedded in the recesses a and 5, the end pressure caused by such furtherrotation may result in a contraction of the middle portions of the ring,thus forcing the inner walls of the recesses to grip the bolt still moretightly. This is the condition of maximum lock.

Incidentally it may be found that the outer walls 8 and 9 of the groovesare expanded slightly if the outer nut 1 is rotated with much forceafter the ring has bedded in the grooves.

The construction is preferably such that in addition to the actuallocking of the two nuts 1 and 2 upon the bolt, a frictional lock tendingto prevent relative rotation of the two nuts is obtained owing toengagement between the walls and/or bottoms of the recesses or grooves &and 5 and the ring 3.

It will be understood that the two nuts before the 1 and 2 may besubstantially identical in foanation as illustrated and described whichnot only keeps down the cost of manufacture but also permits theassembled locknut to be screwed on to a bolt with either of the nuts 1or 2 serving as the inner nut without affecting the loclring action inthe least, which is of course a great advantage in use. I

I claim:

1. A loclrnut comprising two separate nuts having recesses at theiradjacent ends concentric with the taphole, the walls of said recessesbeing of gradually decreasing diameter toward the adjacent ends of thenuts, and a ring engaging said walls, the ring being of generally curvedform in cross section, and the diameters of the walls of the recessesand the resistance thereofto.

distortion being such that the ring. cannot normally bed on the bottomsof the recesses, so that upon screwing the nuts together upon a bolt theend threads of the nut are pressed circuinierentially into the threadsof the boltthus securing a locking effect.

2. A locknut constructed in accordance with claim 1 in which the recessin eaclrnut is in the form of a groove the inner wall of which graduallydecreases in diameter toward the end of the nut whereas the outer walldoes not so decrease in diameter, thus permitting the groove to beformed easily and the ring to be inserted readily.

3. A loclrnut constructed in accordance with claim 1 in which the ringis of gener ally curved form in cross section, said ring having flatouter walls adjacent the ends.

1. A locknut constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the ringis of generally curved form in cross section and has flat outer wallsadjacent the ends, the inner wall of said ring being eased off at eachend.

5. A loclrnut comprising two separate nutsformed with annular grooves intheir adjacent ends concentric with the taphole, the inner walls of saidgrooves being of gradually decreasing diameter toward the said ends ofthe nuts and the outer walls substantially parallel with the of saidnuts, and a ring of substantially curved form in cross section insertedin said grooves the outer walls of the grooves being pressed inwards atintervals after insertion of the ring, thus coupling the said nutspermanently together but so that they can be rotated relatively to eachother.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

HENRY THOMAS HUTTON.

